Grand Lake Bar Stool Open 2008-Photos

The 8th Annual Grand Lake St. Marys "Bar Stool Open"

August 9, 2008!

Quick day today...Patricia and I went down to Fairborn to see Hal and his new digs/apartment, then out to lunch at Chili's....quick trip back, then the first, for me, football scrimmage...a double header with Celina vs Greenville on the 7th and 8th grade level.

More on that tomorrow....Tonight I wanted to post a few photos from last weekend's 8th Annual Bar Stool Open on Grand Lake.......

Here we go......The 2 teams..Duck Aguana and Duck Duck(something or other)....and the starting point...the Famous Duck Foot(Arnolds) Landing...been on the lake since WW2.

"Duck Guwana" or what ever the Hell Nick named us: Captain Nick and me, Truckin' Joey and Nick, and our best golfer(at least for the first 5 holes), TB, or "Corona Carol"....and then a couple

of photos from upstairs at our half-way point...Carta Villa on the West Bank........Heading for It's It's Landing on the south side of Grand Lake. Nick arguing with the cook at It's it, and "Mr Clown" Hole at Sunny Side, my, and the teams 1st Hole-in-One...the highlight of an otherwise pretty bad golf outing....miniture golf that is!

The winning team out of 185 or so foursomes fired a 111 on the 12 holes, we ended up somewhere in the middle with a 135...What the Hell? We survived!

Hitting the Gridiron

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Hard to believe that summer time is winding down. Here we are mid-August, and if you live in the heartland north, like me, summer is just about done. Patricia heads back to school next week, she has actually already taken in-service classes, and is in Wapakoneta today doing the same. Hal is done driving for Celina Moving(Atlas), and begins his Graduated studies by student teaching at Fairborn High School next week...classes begin early next month. Sam has his classes down for Ohio State-Lima, and begins his math major studies late in September.

As for me....Football, scrimmages began last week, begins for me tomorrow with a double scrimmage here in Celina....7th and 8th grade, middle school or junior high, take your pick what to call it, is first on the docket. A Freshman scrimmage is on for Friday. Next Friday the regular season gets underway...so far the weather has been cool for August, which I'm sure the coaches and players are happy about, given they are now in full gear, and doing 2 a days. I don't envy those kids, even at 16 or 17, that is not fun, especially in 90 degree heat and humidity.

Tomorrow Patricia and I will head for the Dayton area, and visit Hal's new apartment...he only has one roommate this year, a kid I used to coach in baseball, they have been friends for years, his grad school only lasts 9 months, then it's off to look for a full time teaching position....The reason we are going, is to get a look at his new digs, i.e. the "tip" from the Dallas Star's hockey player....will try to get some photos of what he has moved to his place. Then we will head back after lunch, so I can make my scrimmage.

I also hope to get the photos back from last weekend's Bar Stool Open...hopefully enough came out to post the best with the story....otherwise, summer slips away, I love fall, but not what follows...I found out years ago, the older you get, the more you hate Winter!

back later>>>>>>>>>>>

Jeeping Back from Yuma 2005

As mentioned in last night's post...the Bar Stool Open was a success, although I missed the Eagles Lodge 50-50 by just a handful of ticket numbers....now that would have topped off the weekend, the person or persons right behind Nick and me won the big bucks...O' Well! As before, photos, if Wally-World gets them out, will be up Thursday or Friday with the in detailed story of Miniature Golf on Grand Lake.

Football scrimmages began Saturday as well...I will have my first action Thursday afternoon here in Celina, a 7/8th grade in scrimmage to kick the 2nd half of my sports seasons off....the weather looks absolutely early fall like for the next few days...temps no higher than the upper 70s with Air Conditioning not needed.

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Coldest Trip Ever December 2005

I've been in some cold vehicles in my days of driving and Air Force vehicles in winter...well over 40 years now. But the 2005 return trip driving the Jeep Wrangler, had to top them all.

Sam and I got a call that Gulf Stream needed some RVs moved from the State Fair Grounds in Louisville, Kentucky, to their new homes in Yuma, AZ. OK, that appeared to be a good run, probably pretty profitable driving together...but how to get to Louisville then back and home? We checked out airline flights from Yuma to Louisville, then from Phoenix or Tucson, if we chose to Greyhound from Yuma to the nearest/cheapest "big" airport. I can't remember the exact details, but none seemed to be a good option. So we packed up the Jeep, still without a plan and headed to Kentucky on December 1st. Now, I have mentioned a time or two, that Jeep 'Rag Tops" tend to wear out...I had owned the Jeep for 3 years and put some pretty nasty weather behind and on top of it. The top had become worn, and I had ordered a new one from California, but an E-Bay problem with the sellers had arrived(I paid up front, they were idiots, was the problem) and the top had not arrived(and would not until February). So the way it stood, I had a top that was "air conditioned"...the back window was out, and the rear windows were as well...my Jeep had a bikini top and it was December...even with a good heater, this could be a problem. But being the cheap asses we were(at least me), I say.."Hell, let's tow the Jeep to Arizona, and drive it back....it's only 2300 miles, most of the trip is through warm weather country, so what's the problem?

Off we went, me driving a 40 foot Diesel Pusher, Sam a 30 foot Class C. The trip out, with the Jeep in tow was routine....we stopped at the Phoenix Flying J Truck Stop for the night on December 3rd.....the weather was dry and warm, things were looking good. Up the next morning, we head across I-8 for Yuma in the desert. One of those towns, like El Paso, San Diego, and Laredo, where worlds seem to collide. We got there before noon and after completing the paper work, we were off, in our "air conditioned" open road Wrangler.

Things went well early, making good time, we decided to avoid the trip north on I-17 to Flagstaff...instead taking the scenic route, that being US 60 across central Arizona towards Show Low, Snowflake, then stay the night at Holbrook on l-40. The trip was a nice view, and we stayed warm, even after getting into the central mountains...the weather had cooled, but with jackets and the heat on...things were not bad....the next day would be different. Stopping at a motel in Holbrook, we got the ingenious way to keep the Jeep fairly warm...we rigged our sleeping bags across the back bar, and secured them...looking like a combination of the "Beverly Hillbillies" and John Steinbeck's Okie travelers from the "Grapes of Wrath", we headed out Monday morning 12/5/05 across the high desert of New Mexico towards the Texas Panhandle.....if you think New Mexico and north Texas can't get cold....you've never been there in the winter and early spring...especially driving a partially open Jeep. The ride from Amarillo to Sayre, Oklahoma, had to be the coldest I've ever been in a vehicle....even colder than my buddy Rick's non heated Mustang was in our college days, when we would go from Athens, Ohio, to Parkersburg, West Virginia, to do whatever we did in those college days, over 30 years ago.

Cold to the bone(the temps had dropped into single digits in the panhandle), we stopped for fuel and coffee at the Flying J outside of Sayre....then we came up with a plan that would get us across Oklahoma towards our night's destination of Tulsa. We took our extra sleeping bag, laid it across our laps, donned wool caps, hooded sweatshirts and our leather jackets, turned the heat up full blast and zoomed across the OK prairie through OK City towards Tulsa....after the strange looks we got during the daylight hours, it was good to be looking like fools in the pitch black of night where few could view us.

We made it to the Motel 6 on Tulsa's east side around midnight....I had grabbed a six pack, Sam a couple of sodas, and a pizza. We needed something to take the chill off...those items and a hot shower did the trick.

We got up early the next morning...it was still cold, but by the time we reached Joplin, Missouri, on I-44, things had warmed up enough to get rid of the lap blanket and the wool caps....The sun was out for the remainder of our trip across Missouri and Illinois, the night time part of the trip on I-70 through Indiana to Ohio was a bit warmer(in the 40s as I recall), and we pulled into the driveway in Celina, vowing never to drive the Jeep again until the new top came in....for the next 2 months it would be air travel or nothing for me, Sam still could stand taking a Greyhound on occasion...I would stick with airplanes or no trips until baseball season began.

Back Later>>>>>>>>>>

photos-The only photo I didn't get was one with the Jeep after we had Jerri rigged it to try and stay warm...it was a sight. Top is me with the RV after dropping, various photos along the way back on US 60, AZ 77, and I-40, and Sam looking down the canyon outside Show Low, AZ.

2008-Bar Stool Open, Grand Lake, Ohio

Late afternoon/early evening Sunday.

The 8th Annual Bar Stool Open appeared from all angles to be another success. We had 2 teams on our boat, and both teams ended up middle of the 185 team pack.....the Lake Improvement Association I am sure is happy with the results, as are the 12 bars and clubs involved in the 9 hour+ event.

The only photo is one I took with my cell phone, at least for now...I took a disposal camera, and dropped the film off at Wally World today, but it's 1 hour processing machine is on the fritz, so it will be Thursday before I get the film back......Will do a complete rundown on that days post. For now, suffice to say, I stayed mostly sober, and struck the happy medium between the total binge I went on 3 years ago, and the no alcohol at last year's event. We boated and drove sober, the wife picked me up at Nick's at 8PM...and no complaints to voice.

Check back Thursday for the round up.

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The weekend weather was a complete success, a little bit of rain began around 9 last night, but the day all-in-all was perfect for a long day on the lake...75 and mostly sunny yesterday, and even better today, total sunshine and a high of 72....both days with almost no humidity....you don't get many like this in Ohio in early and mid August.

back later>>>>>>>>>

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photo-sorry for the cell phone quality...Captain Nick and Big Joey on the boat....we two teams, 8 players in all, lost nobody overboard, and called it a success.

Meeting The Fat Hairy One

After a couple of e-mails and missed phone calls, Jeff AKA: The FatHairyBastard, his girl Denise, and I got to hook up for a meeting and lunch in Dayton yesterday afternoon.

http://fathairybastard.blogspot.com/

FHB, along with Mushy, Buck, and GuyK, were the first folks I found when I started to blog a little more than a year ago....and we have stayed constant in reading each other's blogs and commenting on same since that time.

I met Jeff and Denise at the I-75 "Ruby Tuesdays" on the north end of Dayton yesterday...to me it seemed, even though we had never met in person, that I had known both for years. We spent about 90 minutes together, had a bite to eat, and FHB and I had a tall "Blue Moon" on Draft, while Denise had a glass of wine. The two are on vacation...came up from Texas, with stops in Memphis, Williamsport, PA, and then back down to Tennessee to hook up with "Mushy" :

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http://mushysmoochings.blogspot.com/

Paul aka: "Mushy", like me, is a former Air Force Sky Cop, who was stationed in Vietnam for a year....that's how I ended up in this little circle of bloggers. Mushy's Air Force tales can be found on his blog......

After lunch we had a photo session, Jeff presented me with a couple of excellent Cigars, a "Macanudo" Vintage 2000, a Churchill size fat one...and a Marker's Mark "Kentucky Straight Bourbon" Cigar of the same size....I have had the large Macanudo, but never this MM Bourbon....I might fire that up tomorrow while participating in the Bar Stool Open on Grand Lake.

Jeff gave me a look at his "Texas" knife...a nice piece of hardware, we said our good byes and they were on their way to the Pennsylvania home of the "Little League World Series" at Williamsport.....they will be getting out just in time, as the LL WS starts the end of next week. Have a safe trip guys, and hope to see you again next year, when maybe we can make the time to take in the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton.

The Bar Stool Open-

As I have mentioned previously, tomorrow is the Bar Stool Open...the 8th annual one(my 4th in 5 years)...this event raises money for the Lake Improvement Association, which has been working around Grand Lake for 60 years or so. It involves 12 bars, most(11) of which are in the Mercer County waters of the lake, they each set up a miniature golf hole, teams of 4 shoot one hole at each bar as they sail, motor, drive, etc, around the lake....we usually set up shop on my friend Nick's pontoon with another team. Last year youngest son Hal's team came in 3rd of the 150+ teams....I stayed sober, and for some reason our team stunk, after coming in 4th a couple years back....we finished near the bottom....this year I may have to break my sobriety ways from last year.....will have Patricia drop me off at the dock at Bayview....we will begin at DuckFoot's Landing on the south side, and hope to finish up at Bayview some 8 hours later.....needless to say, I won't be getting behind any wheels for this one.

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Had our required State Football Rules meeting in Lima on Wednesday night....the local association with it's 4 required meetings starts next week. High School teams are allowed to scrimmage starting tomorrow, with the Bar Stool Open, I will hold off until Next Thursday the 14th for my first action.

The weather for football and boating(golfing/drinking) looks perfect...75 or so with sun and low humidity all weekend is in the forecast!

back later>>>>>>>>>>>>No post tomorrow, I'll be out on the Lake, and probably in no shape to think, let along post by tomorrow....back Sunday!

photos-me, Denise, and Jeff outside Ruby Tuesdays in Dayton...now I stand at about 5' 11"...so you can see Jeff is just "a little" taller than this old man...my youngest Hal, stands at 6' 4" and about 250....FHB is taller than Hal....a big kid{kid to me because I'm a "few" years younger. Also Jeff and Denise, then the fine cigars he laid on me, "Thanks Buddy", I will enjoy them. And finally a shot of last years Bar Stool Open Tee....this and door prizes come with the $25 golfing fee....last year's was particularly "loud" in color.

Football Begins/Gator Bait!

Everglades, Florida-February 2006

Tonight GM and I head for Lima Senior High School for the annual State Football officials meeting...like baseball, you need to attend 1 state meeting and at least 4 local meetings a season to keep your OHSAA License up-to-date. Scrimmages start this Saturday and the regular season begins August 23rd....my first scrimmage is next Thursday the 14th....had a chance to do some this Saturday, but with The Bar Stool Open on Grand Lake, that's not going to happen.

Oldest son Sam has decided to start football, to go with his baseball license for extra cash, as he starts back to college at Ohio State-Lima this fall...his RV road trips will have to take a back seat. He began his classes to get his FB License last night.

Waiting to hear from Jeff....aka: FHB, to meet up with him tomorrow in DaytonJeff and his girl are heading for Pennsylvania and coming up this way on vacation....he called yesterday, but the call lost power, although I did get a voice mail from him....Jeff, give me another call and we will set up a time.....he was hanging out in Kentucky as of yesterday.

The Everglades 2006

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A couple of years ago I was wandering around Florida, taking a RV needing repaired from one coast(east) to the other(west) and back a couple of times....I made the trek across Highway(Florida) 80 from West Palm Beach to Fort Myers and back a couple of times each way. In between I would crash, drink beer, suntan, and smoke cigars at my sister and brother-in-law's place in Naples. I would also make a run up to the old hometown of Venice to see how things were changing....it took about 5 days to do the back and forth repair runs, so I was looking for things to see and do.

I have been to and through the Everglades on many occasions...one thing I had not done however was take Loop Road off the Tamiami Trail(US 41)...this little gravel and sand road is supposed to be alive with gator and other wildlife....when wet it also makes a great place to run a Jeep if you have one....since I needed to tow the Wrangler on this trip...the time was ripe for a sight-see up and down Loop Road.

It was February 2006, I checked the spare tire(a good thing) and made sure the Jeep was prepared in case of a break down in Gator Country. When I got to the Loop, Alligators were out in full force...so much for this formerly "endangered" species....mankind has proved no match to these million+ year old creatures...they are doing very fine thank you.

I got plenty of photos, a nail in my left rear tire, which did not go flat, as I left it in until I returned to Naples....all-in-all Monroe Station and the Glades provided me an opportunity to get away, and work up a thirst for some beer and cigars when I returned for the night....all this, and I was getting paid to be in southern Florida in February to boot! What more could one ask for?

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back later>>>>>>>>>>>>

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photos--Sunset over the southwest Florida Gulf Coast.....The old Monroe Station fuel stop and tourist trap, now abandoned..but the State and Federal Government, which closed it down, is in the process of renewing the lease{that should be good, we all know how the government runs things better...... :( !!! }..The "Big" Gator, this sucker looked to be at least 14 to 15 foot...he was a daddy, and he was sunning himself right next to Highway 41. Looking south towards the deep Glades down Loop Road. The deep Everglades and coming back north on Loop Road.

Viva Las Vegas/Hoover Dam!

After a couple of weeks of a semi-drought the rain has returned...just in time to save my browning grass. Yesterday we got a few showers, then last night the thunder storms hit with a vengeance...not as bad as Wrigley Field in Chicago got hit, but we received plenty of rain, and more is on the doorstep. The good news is, by Saturday, and the Bar Stool Open, things look real nice, upper 70s and sunny...hopefully the weather folks are correct on this prediction.

For more on the Bar Stool Open click here:

http://www.theeveningleader.com/content/view/95188/1/

Photos from the fun, coming next week.

March 2003....towing to Las Vegas.

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When I purchased the Jeep Wrangler in late 2002, I planned on towing it behind the RVs I was to deliver...but planned on limiting myself to 1000 miles...this would usually include Florida, the Carolina's, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Texas...and those locations shorter. Anybody, at any age, that has ever rode in a JW for more than a few hundred miles in one sitting, knows they can beat you up. Thus the 1000 or so mile limit. Well I've broke that limit on several occasions....the first time was in late winter of 2003, when I decided to tow the Jeep behind a BT to Las Vegas...why? Hell if I know....

I decided to fore go the shorter trip across the Rockies, basically because there was still plenty of snow in the mountains....so once again, I took the trip across the southwest, then up to Vegas from Kingman, Arizona. This adds a hundred miles or so to the trip, but usually(but not always) the weather is less of a factor.

I made it to Las Vegas, dropped off the RV, stayed the night at my usual haunt, The Gold Coast Hotel and Casino, which is located off the strip. I like the GC, usually reasonably priced, and besides, if I arrive with time on my hands, I just park the RV in the lot, live in it a couple of days and the lot is free....they treat you right at the Gold Coast...and I have probably won more than I've lost there....although I am not a big gambler....I limit myself to $100 a day in loses...my first trip there I won over $900 the first night at the Black Jack table....and still am on the plus side from that trip over 5 years ago.

I usually fly back from Vegas, because the flights are usually reasonable...this time however, I wanted to "see the sights" and see how I would hold up driving the Jeep 2100 miles back to Celina. All-in-all, the trip back was a bear....but I made it....the long stretches got me off the I-40 area, and I did get to see some nice areas of Arizona and New Mexico....as well as the Ozark area of Missouri. At the top of the blog are some photos of Hoover Dam, still a marvel in my eyes and mind....and my home in Vegas, the Gold Coast.

Sam is back from Alberta, Canada. Hal made it back from Dallas, loaded down with a player from the NHL Dallas Star's belongings...he's headed for New York(to drop this guy's stuff off), Boston, then to New Jersey...he hopes to be back by Saturday AM....he is our 4th player in this year's Bar Stool Open....hopefully will stay sober enough to get some nice shots of the event....this being the 8th year.

back later>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

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photos-photos of the Gold Coast sign and a view from the room. Lake Mead and Hoover Dam, and Mead and some Mountain Goats I saw along the way.

RVing the Oregon "Trail"/Upcoming Changes

As mentioned in Friday's post, when I first started to deliver RVs in the summer of 2002, I went often and as far as I could travel....I purchased the Jeep Wrangler in late November of that year, but before then I would drive the RV to the dealers and return via air to Dayton...except for the first trip, when I Greyhounded from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Elkhart, then a cab to Nappanee....I only took the bus once after that.....if you've ever taken the Greyhound bus for any long period of time, you wouldn't have to ask why I don't bus anymore.



November 2002-Nappanee, Indiana to Coburg, Oregon.
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I had never been to Oregon, or for that matter, Wyoming, Utah, or Idaho, when I took a small BT Cruiser from Nappanee to Coburg. The weather was warm as I headed out over the great plains across Iowa and Nebraska on I-80... however, once I hit the Wyoming state line, the winds started to pick up and were whipping from the west at 40-50 MPH, snow flurries were in the air....my 24 foot BT which had been getting 11 MPG quickly dropped down to 6.....I headed through the night to Utah.


You have to realize that Iowa, Nebraska, and to a lesser extent Wyoming, really aren't "sight seeing" friendly.....the former are flat farm land with vast stretches of desolate prairie...the latter is mountainous, but not your Colorado, Montana, or California, type mountains....things, viewing wise, picked up in Utah, Idaho, and of course the Columbia River stretch that separates Oregon and Washington State.


The weather improved until I hit Portland 4 days into my trip, where the winds once again howled, and the rains kicked in.....If I had that trip to do over again(which I never made a second time even though I had several chances)...I would have took the Columbia River Gouge part during the day light hours....I took it at night, and some of the people I met along the way told me I was crazy...one, for driving the river area at night, when it was my first time going that route, the other for missing the great view, and photo ops. As luck would have it, while preparing for this post, I tried to upload some photos, but 2 of the 3 disks would not cooperate...so you'll get some lesser(in my eyes) ones.


After having the awing ripped off the unit by wind, while sitting at a Flying J Truck Stop in Portland, I headed south on I-5 towards Eugene....actually a small berg just north of Eugene, called Coburg....Rain and wind the rest of the way. I dropped off the RV, grabbed a ride to the Eugene Airport and flew out towards Ohio.

The flight took almost as many turns as the drive out....my return had me flying from Oregon to Phoenix, back-tracked to Las Vegas....then a Red Eye to Chicago(Midway), then a morning flight to Dayton....I had been doing the RV thing since August, and my trips had included 2 to North Carolina, 1 to California, 1 to Oklahoma, Clearwater, Florida, and this one to western Oregon....not bad, I was beginning to see parts of the country I had never seen, even in my Air Force days. Coming up on the next RV Run story....I head for Las Vegas...this time towing a Jeep Wrangler some 2000 miles, then driving it back across the great Southwest.
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Photo-The mountains of Utah and Idaho...and a birds eye view from the final leg of the flight home from Midway-Chicago to Dayton....the photo is looking down on Grand Lake where I live....but the city is St. Marys across the Lake from Celina....I was on the wrong side of the aircraft to get my home, so the sister city and east side of the Lake would have to do....we were 50 miles out from Dayton.

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Changes in the works
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Taking a couple of weeks off to rest my legs and back between baseball and football seasons. My first scrimmage is slated for August 14th...so I am taking the opportunity to get my physical on Tuesday and rest up for the 40 to 45 games I plan on working. Will go to the doc in Minster Tuesday afternoon...get the driver's check-up(even though I don't drive the RVs as often), and my 6 month physical since I began the BP treatment after last fall and winter's back issues(spinal stenosis). I will see if the Blood Pressure is staying down, and if I need to stay on the mild medication for high BP. I don't have a problem with the meds, especially since I've survived the baseball season(81 games) intact.

I will also make the effort to drop 15 or so pounds before the end of the football campaign, the last of October...I've stayed pretty steady at 205 on my 5'11" frame this spring and summer, but could stand to lose...190 is my goal by the end of the season, and I would like to hit 180 or so by next spring when baseball begins and I hit 60 years old.


I graduated from High School in 1967 at 135 pounds and 5 foot 9...by the time I joined the Air Force a year later I was 140...and I grew to my current 5' 11" and was 185 lbs by the time I headed for Vietnam....I stayed pretty steady at that weight for the next 25 years or so, until I started lifting weights on a regular basis.... the heavy stuff..I quickly gained 30 then 40 pounds. The problem since I stopped lifting the heavy weights is losing the weight (which I've done several times) and keeping it off. So, back I go, cut back the beer consumption(not an easy thing in the summer) from 1-2 cases a week to a 12 pack or 18 a week....no diet is called for, just a drop in carb and beer intake...this should do the trick until cold weather sets in....Come November, beer drinking, like cigars goes away....who wants to sit outside and freeze their ass off? I will also go back to lifting weights, although more reps and less heavy weight to save the back, and I will begin my 3 mile a day walks along the West Bank of Grand Lake.



Will let you know how I progress.



back later>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Semi-Silent Saturday

With the Site Meter causing the Blog problems last night....I managed to wipe out my entire site count since February....what the hey? I reloaded it and it's back up and running, but the entire 5 months of data is gone....that was my fault in part(forget my password and code)...but I see where Site Meter would like to blame Internet Explorer....I'm not buying that....Site Meter is to blame...that's what they get when their top blogs are left wing loon sites lite the Daily Kos and Huffington Post, 2 anti-American hate sites.

Anyway, I'll give it one more try...just because it's free and gives me an idea of whom and from where I get hits.

Today was pretty much relaxation, I Sat out back, roasted a cigar, downed a couple of beers, and watched my wife do most of the yard work, edging the sidewalk and digging up and trimming around our yard 'walk stones'..... my contribution was taking the above photos.

Tomorrow or Monday, I'll be back with another installment of RV Travels....this one across the northern Rockies and on to Oregon.

back later>>>>>>>>>>

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Photos-As we enter August, the back yard flowers continue to bloom and prosper....and a set of Pots Patricia bought....she plans on transferring some indoor plants(that spend the warm months outdoors) to them.....I thought they made an "interesting" photo sitting on the back walk.

On the Road 2002-Photo Essay

Shortly after retiring from the Van Wert County Health Department in July of 2002...I hooked up with Hoosier Transit out of Nappanee, Indiana. Hoosier is in the business of delivering RVs to dealers around the country. The Nappanee office works primarily with Gulf Stream....they hire drivers, mostly those with Commercial License to drive all size motor homes and 5th wheel trailers to 49 states.....I started driving as an independent contractor 6 years ago this week....for the first 5 years(taking 3 months off for baseball season) I had the chance to drive through 46 states(missing only the People's Republic of Vermont, South Dakota, Hawaii, and Alaska)...driving everything from 20 foot Airport/Business Vans, to school buses, and 40+ foot Diesel Pusher types. I drove as much as I could the first couple of years, a real chance to see the country, and get paid to do it.....now a married man with young kids and needing a large income probably shouldn't get into this business...but for the semi-retired, mostly retired, or single "king of the road" types...it's not a bad income, and the tax and other benefits are decent.

With gas near $4 a gallon and diesel almost $5...the northern Indiana and national RV business has taken a hit, this, along with me now doing football as well as baseball officiating, and my small time work at the Honda affiliate in Greenville, have slowed my travels...but I will still get out on occasion this winter, if I get the chance.

With things slowing down for the late summer, and between baseball and football seasons, I thought I'd post some photos of some of my trips across the nation, especially those south and west of the fruited plain. I will begin in September 2002 with my first long trip across country...this one would end up in San Diego, where I would spend some time, taking in the harbor sites.

The trip was my first via land vehicle through the great southwest....routes included I-70/I-44/I-35/I-40/I-17, and finally I-8 across....took digital photos when I had a chance...and some of them are the heart of this post.

The 5 photos above include a sepia photo of landscape just off I-40 west of the Texas Panhandle in New Mexico...New Mexico, Land of many strange things, but probably among my favorite for weather and scenery. Also some sand rocks near a rest area in New Mexico.....the other 3 include I-40 heading towards Winslow and the Snow Bowl in Arizona, the final 2 were taken on i-17 between Flagstaff and Phoenix.

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San Diego Harbor/The "Star of India"....the most interesting and hair raising part of the trip was me taking that 36 foot front end gas RV across I-8 along the Mexican Border in Arizona and southern California. I got to meet the Border Patrol, making sure I wasn't hauling any illegals in my the RV, and the drive up Rock Mountain after I passed El Centro was especially exciting...a good head wind and guide wires for guard rails was more than interesting....the trip down into the valley and San Diego is a view I won't forget....either will be the traffic.

After dropping off the RV I hopped a cab and picked a Best Western down by the bay, just a stone's throw from Lindbergh Airport....I spent the evening walking the bars and waterfront of San Diego....great city, but needless to say, too many bodies for my taste. I did get some photos of the Naval Shipyard and the famous "Star of India" Liner, which was docked not far from my motel. I walked to the airport the next day around noon....flew to Vegas, stayed the night, and grabbed a flight to Dayton...my first long trip(I had made a couple to North Carolina before this one) in the RV business was complete...spent to much money, but I still came out ahead, but barley.

The following photos are from the Harbor Area of San Diego...including the "Star of India", a Navy Battleship, and the San Diego County Courthouse.

For the next couple of weeks I will do at least 2 or 3 a week from some of my travels.....hopefully you'll come along for the ride.

back later>>>>>>>>>>>>

81 and Done!/The New Freezer

The storms stayed west and south of Van Wert and Garry and I got the last of the baseball in for our season. The Lima Legion defeated the "All-Stars" 15-8....we collected our pay and celebrated with a 6 pack of Sam Adams.

81 games since late March, and as much as I enjoy the work, exercise and getting outdoors, I'm glad it's over....my body took a beating from foul tips(got a nice shot off the face mask last night, and still had a headache when the game ended), and I was feeling the lack of concentration set it....it's time to shut baseball down for a few months, until next spring.

Up next...........Football, some 40+ games at various levels until late October....first scrimmage for me is set for August 14th.

Freezer_________

I've talked this before. With the upcoming recession/depression(take your pick, if Obama gets elected we are all going to be taxed to death anyway), on it's way, we decided to "stock up" on food and everyday supplies. We set aside the shelves in the basement for can goods, non-fat dry milk, and everyday bath needs. These won't last forever, but we rotate the 3 month supply of stuff as needed, and hope we never will need it. Patricia and our friend's have also planted a pretty decent garden out west of town and it has been producing the past few weeks.

Patricia also decided that freezing meats, veggies, etc, was better than the time and money consumed on canning fresh garden items....so last week we trekked on down to Bob's and she picked out a new chest type freezer. The guys delivered it today, and we have set up shop in our already crowded basement(happens when 2 adult sons still live here part or full time, and all their stuff remains as well). The unit is not overly large(13.5 x 15.4 cubic feet), but we can get enough meat and frozen veggies in it, along with our upstairs refrig/freezer, to get by for quite a long haul. Long haul it may be as well...with the increased fuel prices(don't count on this slight drop hanging around), the food prices and winter heating costs will soon be out of reach for most folks. If Barack Hussain(Insane?) Obama gets in with a super majority of far left libs in control of Congress, God help us all.....the revolution probably will be at hand.

In the meantime, my advice, for what's it's worth, stock up on food and ammo....you may need both. Myself, I would like to make one more large purchase...a hard working generator, just in case the grids all go down.

Nuff Doom N' Gloom for one post...........

back later>>>>>>>>>>>>>

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photos--a partial look at our basement supplies, and 2 views, open and closed of the new freezer, ready for stocking.